The frantic phone call from your daughter Sunday afternoon was unsettling. Twelve hours away from home as a freshman in college, she was barely audible as she talked around the swollen glands in her throat. Afraid that she had strep throat just three days before her first college soccer trip, she was beside herself as to what she should do. A few quick internet searches helped you find the best place for her to see a doctor and a few phone calls allowed her to pick up the expensive antibiotic that was prescribed to her. The point of sale (POS) software system allowed you to pay for the prescription using your insurance card that covered medications and office visits.
What Is Point of Sale?
Anytime any person swipes any kind of credit, debit, or gift card, they are actually touching POS software. This technology allows the user and the business to know exactly the status of the card being used. POS systems let companies manage inventory, flag items for reorder, and analyze sales patterns. The best pharmacy POS systems also allow for every day prescription refills, as well as out of the ordinary payment requests by parents who are a day’s drive away from their college student. The best pharmacy POS systems also allow local pharmacies to monitor the medication effects of every patient, as well as allow payment and prescriptions to be coordinated from locations hours apart. The fact is, understanding and tracking harmful side effects is no more important than being able to transfer payments from one location to another.
While some of the less effective retail pharmacy software sales people may try to convince an independent owner that POS software will work just as well through a WiFi platform, the best providers know that this is not the case. Whether a pharmacy is an independent store or part of a multi store operation, the best pharmacy POS systems make both payment and patient information update quick and accurate.
It should not matter if customers are filling prescriptions at a hometown pharmacy where they are known by name or at a single location of a national chain, every prescription needs to be monitored, recorded and followed. A once a year prescription or a monthly allergy medicine both need to be handled confidentially and professionally. The best pharmacy POS systems allow every pharmacist to instantly access patient history and medication allergies, as well as process payments that are instantly processed. For example, the best POS systems manage inventory values, and, in addition, help users predict the best possible time for ordering new supplies, ultimately reducing unnecessary inventory investment. They are even able to analyze sales patterns and suggest items that may no longer be selling.
Small Pharmacies Benefit from POS Software Platforms
Perhaps the best thing about POS software systems for small pharmacies is that the platform allows the small town pharmacist to offer some of the same technologies of larger stores. While still maintaining a one on one customer relationship, these small pharmacies can also offer coupons, computerized refill phone call reminders, and other incentives. While large pharmacy chains can offer many incentives, they likely can not offer the personalized attention of a small town pharmacist. As a friendly face, however, small pharmacies can also, through the best POS platform, make sure that they provide all necessary allergy and health warnings.
Do Not Fall Behind the POS Industry Growth Numbers
Pharmacy customers have a choice when they fill their prescriptions. While they may remain loyal to a local pharmacist for awhile, their commitment to a local connection can decrease as large pharmacy chains offer more services and incentives. If your pharmacy has not already made the switch to a POS platform, you are falling behind. In fact, experts predict mobile POS will reach 46% of the market share by 2017. As an indicator of the rapid growth expected, the number of mobile POS terminals grew by 111% in the year 2012 alone. Does your pharmacy have one of the 9.5 million terminals that were installed between the years 2011 and 2012? If not, are you making plans to join the technology platform that will drive the future of pharmacy service and sales?